Fitness

The November Project gets people outside to exercise and socialize together all winter long

Published

1 month ago

November 16, 2024

The November Project gets people outside to exercise and socialize together all winter long

The sun had yet to come up in Edmonton, Alberta, and it was more than 20 degrees below zero. Tanis Smith layered up anyway, ready to run up and down hundreds of stairs among the trees in the Saskatchewan River Valley.

When she arrived at 6 a.m., 10 other people joined her. It wouldn’t be the last time they risked freezing their toes off to get in a workout before the rest of the world wakes up.

“You’re pretty much just putting everything you own on,” said Smith, an accountant. “If you look at the pictures, you don’t know who you are unless you remember what you were wearing.”

Since that winter of 2013, Smith has rarely missed a workout with the group, called November Project, a network of free outdoor group exercise classes that started in Boston. No matter the month or weather, participants roll out of bed before dawn at least once a week and shield their faces from the blistering cold.

One part intense training and one part abject silliness, the project is a model for how to stay motivated to exercise outside throughout the winter.

It started when a pair of friends challenged each other to exercise every morning for the month of November. By the end of the month, they were recruiting others.

“A party is better when there’s more people around,” said Bojan Mandaric, who created the project with Brogan Graham in 2011. “We would talk to anybody who would listen.”

Soon, their meetings were attracting a few dozen people, who then brought the idea to other cities when they moved. Now there are 52 chapters in eight countries, including 44 in the United States and Canada.

What do the workouts look like?

Workouts, which attract all ages and fitness levels, begin with a “bounce,” a hopping, call-and-response chant to loosen people up physically and mentally. How the classes continue varies on the location and day of the week, but most include running and body weight exercises like squats or burpees.

To promote the idea that exercise can be fun, they also might weave in activities that would be at home during childhood recess in the schoolyard.

In Edmonton, they’ve played an intense version of duck duck goose, gone sledding in winter and done Slip ’n’ Slide in summer. One workout in Boston involved a kind of Easter egg hunt, where you search for plastic eggs at a sprint. Crack them open to find commands that could be, walk like a gorilla, do a cartwheel, or grab grass and dump it on Mandaric’s head.

The point is to lower inhibitions, which helps people make connections, said Jason Shaw, co-leader of the Indianapolis chapter.

“Nobody’s cool at November Project,” he said. “At different gyms, especially, you always have the people who just are so cool, or think they’re so cool. We try to nip that in the bud.”

Shaw said chapters mark different milestones, much like Scout merit badges, by spray painting a tag on your shirt for, say, showing up on your first single-digit day.

But they don’t spray when it’s too cold. The paint freezes.

If you don’t have a chapter nearby, many cities offer some kind of running or outdoor exercise group, though many are not free. Otherwise, November Project organizers offered a few suggestions on how to stay motived to keep working through the colder months.

Find a workout buddy

Accountability is a core tenet of the project. Members make a verbal promise to show up, and there is almost a sense of letting down your teammates if you don’t, said Mandaric, who moved to Boston from Serbia to row crew for Northeastern University.

Invest in some gear

There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, Shaw said. At a minimum, buy a moisture-wicking base layer that will help keep you warm and dry. Avoid cotton, which keeps sweat in contact with your body and will make you colder. And add a top jacket with wind-breaking fabric.

Make it a habit

Commit to exercising on the same days and times for a month. Creating a predictable routine will help you get into a groove that is easier to maintain, Mandaric said.

Most of all, have fun

One of the things Smith appreciates most about the project is its social aspect. She called it “a chosen family” that was formed partly because they were having fun while exercising.

“Fitness doesn’t have to be this hard-nosed, drill-sergeant type thing,” she said. “You can have fun and get fit.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: Albert Stumm writes about wellness, food and travel. Find his work at https://www.albertstumm.com

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Fitness

What Is Immersive Fitness? How It Can Be A Game Changer For Your Strength And Health

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

In today’s time, traditional gym workouts are being reimagined, combining technology, entertainment, and exercise to deliver a truly engaging experience. This is where ‘immersive fitness’, a revolutionary approach to working out, comes into play. But what exactly is immersive fitness that’s transforming the way people achieve their strength and health goals? Why is it becoming the talk of the fitness world? Let’s understand!

What Is Immersive Fitness?

Immersive fitness integrates Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and cutting-edge audiovisual elements to create a fully engaging workout environment. Imagine cycling through the mountains of the Swiss Alps, boxing in a neon-lit futuristic arena, or participating in a yoga class surrounded by a tranquil digital forest. These experiences are crafted using projectors, screens, VR headsets, or AR glasses that simulate real or imagined environments, making workouts both captivating and effective.

Instead of staring at a blank wall or counting down the minutes on a treadmill, you are transported to another world, where the focus shifts from the effort of the workout to the experience itself. People who have experienced this fitness routine highlight that this gamified, sensory-rich approach helps boost motivation and makes working out enjoyable for people of all levels.

Also Read: Nana Patekar’s Fitness Secrets At 75: Simple Tips For Staying Active And Healthy

Key Benefits of Immersive Fitness

Additionally, there are other benefits of immersive fitness. These may include:

1. Enhanced Motivation And Engagement

Traditional workouts can sometimes feel monotonous. Immersive fitness breaks that cycle by offering a dynamic, ever-changing environment. The sense of adventure and accomplishment keeps one coming back for more, significantly increasing long-term commitment to their fitness routines.

2. Improved Physical Performance

By drawing participants into an engaging narrative or setting, immersive fitness can help individuals push their limits. For example, racing through a virtual cityscape might encourage you to pedal harder, while a strength challenge could inspire you to lift more weight. The distraction of the immersive environment often reduces the perception of effort, enabling users to achieve more than they might in a traditional workout setting.

Also Read: Nana Patekar’s Fitness Secrets At 75: Simple Tips For Staying Active And Healthy

3. Mental Health Benefits

The combination of movement and immersive environments has been shown to reduce stress, boost mood, and enhance mental well-being. Activities like virtual mindfulness or yoga in serene digital settings can help participants relax and rejuvenate, offering a dual benefit for both body and mind.

Examples Of Immersive Fitness Experiences

A few examples of immersive fitness activities may include:

Virtual spin classes
Boxing simulators
Immersive yoga and meditation
Full-body workouts in VR

Bottomline

Whether you’re looking to shake up your routine, find new motivation, or simply make fitness more fun, immersive fitness has something to offer. It’s not just a workout rather it’s an adventure, a game, and a journey toward better health all rolled into one.

Fitness

5 Ways Britany Anderson in Ab-Bearing Exercise Gear Stays in “in Good Shape”

Published

15 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

5 Ways Britany Anderson in Ab-Bearing Exercise Gear Stays in “in Good Shape”

Britany Anderson is a professional hurdler from Jamaica. She competed in the 2020 Olympics. Anderson has also won a silver medal in the 100 meter at the 2022 World Championships. Last month, Anderson shared a photo on Instagram of herself at the track. She captioned the post, “End of an amazing week! I’m feeling really positive and excited for the upcoming season. Also really grateful to start this new season healthy and in good shape… 💜💜🦄💓🌸💓💖💕💓🦄💜🦄💜🦄”

She Uses Weights

Anderson shared some of her favorite workouts in this Instagram video. In it, she is seen using weights. According to ACE Fitness, using weights has a lot of health benefits. “Using heavy weights increases intramuscular coordination, the number of type II motor units and the amount of muscle fibers engaged within a specific muscle. Have you ever felt your muscles shaking while lifting heavy weights? This is because you are recruiting and activating the larger type II muscle fibers, which are only stimulated to work when a muscle is challenged with heavy resistance or working to fatigue.”

She Does Squats

Britany Anderson/Instagram

Anderson is seen doing jump squats and squats with a barbell in the previous Instagram video. The Cleveland Clinic states that squats have a lot of health benefits. “Engaging large muscle groups helps burn calories both during and after exercise. One study found that squats burn about 35 calories per minute, aiding in weight management and fat loss.”

She Does Lunges

Britany Anderson does lunges.

Britany Anderson/Instagram

Anderson is also seen doing lunges in the previous Instagram video. Lunges are very beneficial. The Mayo Clinic states, “The lunge is a body resistance exercise that works the leg muscles. Specifically, the lunge targets the quadriceps and the hamstring muscles in the thigh, the gluteal muscles in the buttock, and to a lesser extent, the lower leg muscles. The lunge is a great conditioning exercise for many sports, especially those that involve lunging movements, such as tennis, basketball or soccer.”

She Does RDL’s
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Anderson shared this video of herself working out on Instagram. One thing she is seen doing in it is RDLs. ACE Fitness states that RDLs have a lot of health benefits. “The most important benefit of the RDL is that it teaches the proper movement and biomechanics of standing hip flexion and extension. This is the foundational movement for squatting, whether the movement is performed with a weight in the gym or while bending over to pick an object up from the floor.”

She Does Leg Extensions

Anderson is seen using the leg extension machine in the previous Instagram video. Asphalt Green states that doing this has a lot of benefits. “Leg extensions using this exercise machine work your thighs. In fact, that’s basically the only thing that they work. That’s great if you want to build strength and mass quickly.”

Fitness

Rohman Shawl spills his diet and workout secrets for those washboard abs; reveals ‘instant’ trick for burning fat

Published

23 hours ago

December 21, 2024

Press Room

Rohman Shawl spills his diet and workout secrets for those washboard abs; reveals ‘instant’ trick for burning fat

Rohman Shawl is nothing if not dedicated to staying fit and healthy. The model-turned-actor, who was recently seen in the Tamil film Amaran alongside Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, believes in eating clean, training hard, and training smart. His workout routine is proof that hard work and effort pay off – have you seen those perfect abs and big set of biceps? Also read | Srishti Dixit reveals her diet and fitness secrets, what triggered her weight loss journey: ‘I eat everything but…’

Rohman Shawl shares his secret to crushing his workouts and staying fit despite an insatiable sweet tooth and giving into his cravings once in a while.

When it comes to health and wellness, we should all take a page out of Rohman’s book – his approach isn’t about losing weight or building a ripped physique; it’s about feeling healthier. Don’t miss his tips and tricks for motivating yourself the next time you feel like swapping gym time for couch time.

In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, Rohman shares his fitness mantra, workout routine and diet secrets. Excerpts:

Do you work out in the morning or evening; and why?

I am usually an evening person, as it helps me get better sleep at night. But I have a ritual of waking up in the morning, stretching my body, and doing 60 push-ups (3 sets of 20 reps each) on a daily basis. It helps me start my day on a high note, and I feel a sense of accomplishment.

If not working out in a gym due to travel or work commitments, how do you stay active?

I haven’t been to a gym in a long time. For my film Amaran, I had to follow a particular body type of being lean and not so shredded, so I changed my exercise routine!! I am into callisthenics and yoga now, which can be done anywhere. Also, if there is no space, I go for a run!! Another important thing that I have included in my routine is to play football with friends once a week. It has helped me be healthy both physically and mentally. I will return to the gym if my next project demands it, but otherwise, I am quite happy following the current routine.

How do you stay motivated to exercise when you don’t feel like it?

For me, exercise is a way of being healthy rather than looking fit. You can have all the Money, name, and fame in the world, but if you aren’t healthy, you won’t be able to enjoy all of that. There can’t be a better motivation than that!

What’s your trick to burning more calories and fat?

For me, that would be a run of 7-8 km, which includes 3 sets of 200-meter sprints at different intervals (I have always been a sprinter; I can still cover 100 mts in around 11 seconds). It gives me instant results.

Do you push yourself too hard for your workouts sometimes?

I used to, not anymore. With age and experience, you realise that your body needs rest, so you go easy on it !! The more recovery time, the better the results. Having said that, that’s what works for me, as I have a certain body type. This might not work for everyone.

How do you manage to stick to your exercise regime and diet plan?

Realising the mere fact that to reap the most of this precious life that you have been given, the least you can do is to feed your body, mind and soul in the best possible way! Once you love yourself, it’s not hard to manage it.

Are you on a particular diet? No sugar, intermittent fasting or any other?

I am not someone who counts calories, but I do follow a 2-meal-a-day plan. I only have brunch and then dinner. Since I have started doing it, I feel my body has become more active, and I feel fitter than ever. Also, I try to avoid sugar as much as possible, but I do have a sweet tooth, so sometimes I do indulge.

Any diet tips and tricks of yours that fans can learn from?

First of all, it’s very important to be aware of what your body is trying to tell you, because it does speak to you by giving signs. What might work for me may not work for you, so don’t just follow someone blindly. Get regular tests done and know your body type before you go on a diet. Trust me, it’s not so hard; you just need to believe in yourself!

What are the staples of your diet? What’s the first thing you eat/drink when you wake up and the last thing before you sleep?

I have a very basic diet, I wake up and drink at least 2 glasses of water, and then I wait for 40 minutes before I make my own breakfast (it’s a ritual, I have to make my own breakfast), which includes 4 pieces of avocado toast, 2 sunny-side-up eggs and some coffee that keeps me going throughout the day. Then, for dinner, I usually have rice and dal with some curd and tandoori chicken. That’s the last thing that I eat unless I am in the mood to indulge, then I do have some dessert. Just a reminder: Since I am only maintaining my current body shape, I am following this. To make any changes, I will have to change my diet for sure.

What is your daily workout like, and how many days a week do you work out?

I wake up, stretch and do 60 push-ups (20×3 reps). Then, the evening would be callisthenics and yoga (usually 3-4 times a week). Every Wednesday evening is booked for football for 90 minutes, which I feel has helped me immensely, both physically and mentally. I would like to request you all to please find a sport of your choice and play it at least once a week, no matter what. It will help your fitness journey on another level. Then, once a week, usually on Sundays, I go for my run, which is usually 7-8 km and involves pace walking and sprints.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.